Turning Pages
by MissBerecca
Summary: NaNoWriMo 2015. Jily Muggle AU. Lily Evans gets her dream job in a cute little bookshop and sees it as a chance to bond with her sister, who works in the coffee shop around the corner. However, when she gets there, she discovers that she gets on much better with a different employee. Rated M for language and possible sexual references in future chapters.
1. Chapter 1

It's been scientifically proven that the smell of books can be addictive, and Lily Evans was definitely addicted. That rich, musky smell, slightly sweet, slightly acidic… She couldn't get enough of it. She liked the smell of new books, too; fresh and slightly woody, just waiting to be read. It would be fair to say that she was addicted to everything about books, not just their smell. Which is what made her so excited to get up that morning; it was her first day as a sales assistant at an amazing bookshop, The Ink Blott, filled with thousands of books that would feed her addiction.

Some of her enthusiasm left her when she sat up and felt how cold it was outside of the cosy confines of her bed. She'd moved up to Scotland to attend university because it was an amazing school, but she really wasn't a fan of the climate. She pulled her duvet tight around her for a moment, then let it go and jumped out of bed before she could change her mind. Because it was early on a Saturday morning, neither of her housemates were in the shower, and she was able to praise anyone or anything that might be listening for the hot water that revitalised her. As she rinsed conditioner out of her red hair, however, she realised she'd have to get out of the shower soon, and would be even colder because she'd be wet. Fuck. She needed to move somewhere warmer.

On the bus ride to work, her excitement began to creep back in. A new job, starting university, she felt like she finally had control over what happened in her life, and she loved it. On Monday she'd be beginning her degree in English Literature, and her new job was perfect for her. _Well,_ she thought, _I suppose I should wait until I've actually started my job before I say that_. She finally arrived at the bookshop, took a moment to collect herself, and opened the door, instantly smiling as she was greeted by that wonderful smell.

"Lily! Nice to see you," smiled Remus, a thin, fair-haired young man of eighteen, the same age as her. She'd only met him briefly when she'd been told that she'd gotten the job, but he seemed nice. His smile felt genuine, and it calmed her nerves a little.

"Remus, hi!" Lily automatically smiled back at him, and felt like Remus was just someone who made things easier just by being around. "Is Mr. Snape here?" Mr. Snape was the manager of The Ink Blott, and while she should be grateful to him for giving her a job, there was something about him that made her feel uneasy. On paper, he seemed fine; mid-thirties, dark hair, businesslike, perhaps a bit quiet, but not unusually so. But there was something about his presence, Lily felt like she didn't want to get on his bad side.

"Oh, Mr. Snape isn't here right now," said Remus, sipping a cup of tea. "He'll be here at about ten; he actually doesn't spend that much time in the shop, so you won't really see him that often. I've been working here part-time since I was fifteen, so Mr. Snape feels like I can take care of the day to day stuff. But don't worry, I'll be nice to you." He winked at her and gestured her to follow him. "I suppose the first thing to do is give you a tour. Want a cup of tea?"

Beautiful might not have been the perfect word to describe the shop, but that's how Lily saw it. Thousands of books stacked on shelves, tables, dressers, even on the floor. The shop must have originally been a house, because it was made up of several rooms, rather than having the open plan design of high street shops. Some rooms were higher up than others, and so there were several sets of small stairs, each about five or six steps, throughout the shop. There were chairs for people to stand on to reach books on higher shelves, or just in case someone found a book they particularly liked, and wanted to peruse it in the shop. In one such chair was an elderly man, who looked to be in his late seventies or early eighties, if Lily had to guess. He had long silver hair and a beard to match, and was reading "How To Knit a Cat: Easy-to-Follow Patterns for Sixteen Frisky Felines" through a pair of half-moon spectacles.

"Sixteen frisky felines, Albus? Sounds like a lot to handle," said Remus, before turning to Lily and gesturing to the man in the chair. "Lily, this is Albus Dumbledore, a man who spends more time in this shop than I do. Albus, this is Lily Evans, it's her first day here."

Albus stood up; Lily noticed he was wearing Ugg boots. "Pleasure to meet you, Miss Evans," said Albus, giving a slight bow. There was something in his voice that made it sound like he was smiling, as if there was something he could see that no-one else could. "I'm looking forward to getting to know you as you spend your time here."

"Thanks," replied Lily, slightly baffled by this man, but definitely in a good way. "So, you're going to knit yourself… sixteen cats?"

"I think I'll start with just one." Albus sat down in his chair and picked up his book again. "I love to knit, and I think I could do with a little companion to confide in."

"That poor cat; I don't think I could handle all of your secrets, Albus," said Remus. Lily wasn't sure if he was joking or not.

Lily spent the morning with Remus, helping him stack shelves and learning how to serve the customers. It wasn't very busy, but Lily decided she preferred it that way. She was able to read or chat with Remus when she wasn't needed by a customer, and that suited her just fine. The only thing that bothered her was that Mr. Snape hadn't shown up. She looked at the clock again; it was ten to one.

"Don't worry," said Remus, following Lily's gaze to the clock. "Snape has a habit of appearing when he pleases; he'll probably show up this afternoon." Lily couldn't decide if that made her feel better or not, but Remus' next sentence definitely lifted her mood: "You can take your lunch break now, if you'd like."

If Remus said anything else, Lily didn't hear it over the tinkle of the bell as she opened the door and left hurriedly, pulling on her coat. God, she'd been hoping it'd be a bit warmer, seeing as it was the middle of the day. No such luck. But she didn't care, Lily had one more thing to be excited about: her sister. Petunia was a year older than Lily and about to go into her second year of university, studying Textiles. She and Lily had never gotten on, but Lily hoped that now that they would see each other regularly but wouldn't be living under the same roof, they would be able to bond without fighting about whose turn it was to clean the bathroom. Petunia worked in a coffee shop called Café Presto, and it just happened to be around the corner from Lily's new job, according to her parents. It wasn't why she'd applied for the job, of course, but she felt that it was definitely a good thing. Lily could visit this coffee shop all the time, and she and her sister would be able to bond. She saw the shop's sign and eagerly opened the door, expecting to see her sister behind the counter, returning her grin.

 _That's not Petunia_ , thought Lily.


	2. Chapter 2

Where Lily had expected to see her sister, she saw a young man whose gaze hit her like a bolt of lightning. He was definitely attractive; tall, thin but with well-built shoulders, and a mess of black hair that pointed out at every angle. But it was his gaze; hazel eyes framed by round glasses, that rooted her to the spot. He looked amazed to see her, as if he'd never seen anything like her. Lily didn't want to look away, because being looked at like that felt amazing.

James knew he was staring, but he couldn't help it. Besides, she was staring back. She had the most amazing green eyes, which stood out clearly against her pale skin. She was still holding the door open; slightly breathless with her long red hair blown around her, she looked like she'd just flown there. _I should say something to her_ , he thought. _Something. Anything. Words, James_.

"I'm looking for my si-"

"Hi, can I he-"

"Oh, sorry."

"No, no, I'm sorry. Come in. What were you saying?" James leaned forward on the counter and Lily came into the coffee shop, leaning on the other side of the counter before realizing that it put her too close to this very attractive stranger. James was glad that she leaned away because it meant he was able to think slightly more clearly, but then again, did he really need to think?

"I'm looking for my sister, Petunia Evans. I believe she works here?"

James' surprised look was funny, Lily decided.

"Petunia? Petunia that works here? She never said she had a sister. I don't know how it didn't come up, we basically tell each other everything. I thought she saw me as a sister, but I guess she has you for that." His smile was infectious. "Petunia's sister, wow. I had no idea. I don't think she's working today actually, but let me check."

James looked at her for a second before going into a back room, giving Lily the opportunity to see where her sister worked. It was very cosy; dark wood and yellow lampshades gave it a very warm glow, and was filled with very comfortable looking couches. There were a few people sipping their drinks, chatting to one another or reading. Honestly, it didn't seem to suit Petunia. Lily would have imagined her working somewhere busier, full of chrome counters and people in suits. _But this is why I'm here,_ thought Lily, _clearly there's more to my sister than I'm aware of._

"Sorry, she's not working today." James had reappeared, with a sympathetic smile. "She's working on Tuesday evening though, if you want to come by."

Lily felt herself go red. James was pretty sure it was the most adorable thing he'd ever seen.

"Silly me, I should have checked before showing up here. I just wanted to surprise her. I should go."

"Wait!" _Oh wow, that was much louder than I'd intended._ "Uh, wait, please, for a sec. What's your name?"

"Lily. Evans, obviously."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Lily. I'm James." James offered his hand and really wished he had a reason to keep not let go when she took it. "I won't tell Petunia you were here, so you can come back and surprise her on Tuesday, if you'd like."

As Lily smiled excitedly, James knew he was in trouble. No way was he going to forget about this girl any time soon.

"Oh that's perfect! I'll come back then. By the way, do you know a good place to get lunch around here?"

"Well, we serve food here, you know," smiled James, ecstatic that he might be able to convince this beautiful girl to talk to him for a bit longer. "And I've been told that the service is excellent."

"Oh really?" Lily raised her eyebrows. "Well how about I review you today, Petunia on Tuesday, and see who's better?"

James looked thoughtful. "One lunch to create a stronger bond than you have with your sister? I don't know if I can do that, but I definitely want to try." The way he looked at her at the end of that sentence made Lily want to try a few things of her own.

"My sister and I actually aren't too close, but hopefully that will change," said Lily, taking a seat on one of the couches while James followed her with a menu.

"I can't imagine knowing you for very long and not becoming close to you," said James, stiffening as he realised what he'd said. Luckily, at that moment, another customer was at the counter, so James was able to make a swift escape after giving Lily her menu with a "Madam" and a small bow.

Lily chose what she wanted pretty quickly, and spent the rest of her time watching James work. He was chatty and friendly with the customers who came in, and seemed to know a few of them by name. With a small jolt, Lily realised that he was probably just being friendly to her too, and she was seeing what she wanted to see because she was attracted to him. At that moment, James caught her eye and flashed her a grin. Whether he liked her or not, Lily couldn't help but smile back at him.

"Now, what can I get for you, darling?" asked James, taking out a pen and pad. He had no idea why he'd said "darling". He hoped she wouldn't mind.

Lily wondered if James called all of his customers "darling".

"I'll have a BLT and a Coke, please."

"Coming right up." A moment later he returned with her drink. "Your sandwich will be ready in a minute. Is there anything I can do as your waiter to make your lunchtime experience better?"

Lily giggled. "I don't suppose you have time to sit with me?"

"For you, I'll make time. Just let me get your food." James returned a moment later with a tasty looking sandwich and Lily moved over to give him room on the couch.

"Bon appetit," he said, setting the plate in front of her. Maybe she was hungrier than she thought, but it was a damn good sandwich. She took a moment to savour it before turning to James.

"Do you want some? I feel bad eating when you're just sitting there."

"Oh no, don't worry about me," James smiled, "Enjoy your lunch. I'm just here to entertain you. Whatever you need, I'm all yours. I'm determined to be the most dedicated server you've ever had."

Lily smiled. "Are you this dedicated to all your customers?"

"Definitely not," James leaned back on the couch and rested his arm on the back of it, behind Lily. "I've decided that you're my favourite."

"And why is that?"

James panicked for a moment, but quickly gained his composure and said, "Because no-one else has ever asked me to sit with them before. You're very kind."

"I'm glad you think so," said Lily, checking her watch. "I'll have to go back to work soon."

"What?" James sat forward. "But I haven't had nearly enough time to sweep you off your feet! Where do you work? Maybe I can explain to your boss how important this is."

Lily imagined Mr. Snape and James meeting and didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

"I work at The Ink Blott, the bookshop around the corner. And seeing as today's my first day, I don't think I should take any chances." Lily stood up and looked down at James, who still had his arm on the back of the couch. She had to consciously resist the urge to sit back down and get closer to him. However, at that moment, he stood up, and suddenly they were closer than they'd ever been. He wondered if she felt the same rush of adrenaline that he did. She wondered if she had the courage to kiss him. Both of them resisted the urge to bridge the tiny gap between them. _They're a stranger,_ they both thought. _They'd think I'm crazy._

"Um, I should pay," said Lily, her voice slightly husky for some reason. The sound made James want to lie down, preferably with Lily beside him. Or on top of him. Or under him…

"No, no, don't worry about it." James noticed his own voice sounded a bit strange, too. "Consider it part of your wonderful service."

"You know, that's not a very good way to run a business," teased Lily, walking over to the counter to pay.

"It isn't my business, so I don't mind." James went to the till and took Lily's money. "But please, at least let me give you a muffin. I'll pay for it myself, so you don't need to worry about the business."

"You don't have to b-"

"I want to." His firmness shocked her a little bit; he looked so sincere.

"Well if it means that much to you, then I'll have a blueberry muffin, please."

James placed the biggest muffin he could find in a bag and handed it over. He wished he had some way to make her stay.

"You're very kind," said Lily, "I'll remember this in my evaluation."

"All I want is to earn your admiration," said James, clasping his hands over his heart. "I'll do anything for you, Lily Evans, just say it."

Lily suddenly felt incredibly nervous, but decided to take the chance. She could always play it off as a joke if he said no. "Anything? Would you kiss me?"

Lily wasn't sure was bigger, James' eyes or his grin.

"Lily, my darling, I will kiss you every day for the rest of my life if it's what you want."

Lily paused for a moment, unsure whether he was hiding a yes or a no under that joke.

"That's exactly what I want, so you'll need to keep count and make sure that you're doing your job properly." Lily giggled and started to leave. "Nice to meet you, James. I guess I'll see you on Tuesday!"

"Bye! Nice meeting you too!" James leaned on the counter, already excited about Tuesday.

 _Crap,_ he thought, _I'm not working on Tuesday!_


	3. Chapter 3

Lily was almost impressed by her own ability to be focused on something other than her job on her first day. Lunch hadn't gone the way she'd expected, but she found that she really didn't mind. That guy, James… She felt she was completely justified in thinking about him; there was a lot to think about. He seemed to exude a sense of ease and happiness, which had made her feel happy to be in his company. Or maybe she'd been happy because he was kind of gorgeous. And he'd called her darling…

"Enjoyable lunch?" Albus asked, as Lily was stacking books near him. He has his knitting instructions propped open against a dresser, and seemed to be able to knit without looking at his needles.

"Yes, thank you," Lily felt that she may have been smiling more than she should.

"It's amazing what a change of scenery can do," said Albus, staring into the distance. "New environment, new people. You moved here recently, is that correct? I believe Remus told me you and he are attending the same university."

"Yes, we both start on Monday."

"Well I wish you both the best of luck. I'm sure this new chapter in your life will be very exciting." Albus turned to Lily with a smile. _He always looks like he knows something I don't,_ thought Lily. She wasn't sure how long it would take her to get used to that smile.

The sound of the door's bell brought Lily out of her reverie and she joined Remus at the front of the shop. The shop was definitely busier in the afternoon, and Lily almost didn't have time to daydream about James. Almost.

A lot of people came through the shop that afternoon, but the most interesting customer by far was a very handsome young man with shoulder length black hair, a strong jaw and a grin that reminded Lily of the Cheshire Cat. He strolled into the shop as if he owned the place, and when he looked at Lily and Remus, his eyes lit up as if he had spotted some particularly tasty prey.

The young man walked around the shop, picking up and throwing down half a dozen books without looking at any of them, looking around the shop as if he had a secret agenda. Remus was totally enraptured; his eyes followed this man around the shop as if he were the only thing in the world.

"Do you know him?" Lily asked, discreetly motioning in the direction of this mysterious customer, who was looking at them behind an upside-down book.

"No," said Remus, breaking out of his trance suddenly. "Do you? Who is he? Do you know him?"

"No, no." Lily was surprised. "I just… From the way you were looking at him, I thought you might…"

Remus went bright red and started shuffling whatever he could reach.

"No, um, I just, um… He's just unusual, I was trying to figure out what he was doing."

And with that, Remus gathered up some books and disappeared to another section of the shop.

Lily turned back to the counter to find the stranger a few inches away from her face, causing her to yelp. His grin grew wider, though Lily couldn't understand how that was possible.

"Didn't mean to scare you, love," said the stranger with a look on his face that suggested otherwise. "Just looking to buy a book." He held up a copy of "Make Your Own Sex Toys". _Wow,_ thought Lily, _They really encourage weird hobbies here._ She was surprised by his accent; he sounded quite posh, which she wouldn't have expected from someone who dressed like he belonged in a biker gang.

"It's not for me," said the stranger, seeing the look on Lily's face. "It's a surprise for a mate of mine. I'm a good friend like that."

"That's very generous of you," said Lily, taking his money and putting the book in a bag. The way this guy was looking at her made her feel like she was taking an exam. When she looked up, she was surprised again by how close he was to her.

"You know," he said as she handed him his bag, "I don't come in here very often, but I think I might stop by again some time soon. You've got some interesting stuff here." His eyes flickered towards the room that Remus has disappeared into. "Anyway," he winked at Lily, "thanks. See you soon."

"What did he buy?" Remus croaked, returning to the counter holding the same books he'd left with.

"Um, it was some book about making your own sex toys."

Remus looked like he might faint.


End file.
